


Once Upon a Duet

by the5leggedCricket



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2015-05-27
Packaged: 2018-04-01 11:47:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4018597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the5leggedCricket/pseuds/the5leggedCricket
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin is an ordinary student. He goes to school, has friends, takes showers at the same time as his neighbour, whom he sometimes sings duets with...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Once Upon a Duet

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rowanbrandybuck](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rowanbrandybuck/gifts).



> For the lovely rowanbrandybuck, who wanted to read a fic based on [this](http://tardis-in-the-bakerstreet.tumblr.com/post/119378521564/awful-aus-ciaoloueh-awful-aus-so-weve) prompt: “So we’ve never met but our showers are on opposite sides of the same apartment wall so sometimes we’re showering at the same time and we sing duets.” AU
> 
> Also many thanks to [ambrosius](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ambrosius) for being such a wonderful beta.

The first time it happens, Merlin isn’t even sure he knows what’s going on.

He’s just come back from Gwen’s birthday party. He left right when the party was in full swing, because of course that dick Cedric had to go and puke all over his shoes. Merlin’s half sure that he did it on purpose too. Of course Gwen offered to lend him Lance’s shoes, but there’s no way he’s going to dance around when he can still _feel_ what used to be the contents of Cedric’s stomach in his socks.

So it’s Saturday night, 2 AM, and Merlin is taking a fucking shower, when he hears it. A strange sound. As if someone’s… howling? Curiosity spiked, he turns off the water and pricks up his ears. It takes him a second of carefully listening, but then he recognizes the muffled sound.

“Oh, oobee doo

I wanna be like you

I wanna walk like you

Talk like you, too

You'll see it's true

An ape like me

Can learn to be human too”

Merlin starts grinning widely, bad mood forgotten. His neighbour is _singing_ and quite terribly at that. But, more importantly, he’s singing [_The Jungle Book_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JDzlhW3XTM&list=PLS7M0Pq7hkx6x_CBHOo-Llp7CQlfNs-Re), Merlin’s favourite Disney film. He’s just reached the end of the musical intermezzo—which he, naturally, sang as well—and Merlin automatically starts singing along. The other man falters a bit, but shrugs—or at least that’s what’s Merlin imagining—and starts wailing again with gusto.

 

And that should be the end of it. Once the song is over, Merlin goes back to washing himself, and by the time he’s towelled off, he’s mostly forgotten about it.

 

When he picks up a hot Irish bloke in the pub on Saturday, he doesn’t even think of any neighbours at all. He lets himself be pushed against the wall in the hallway leading to his flat and ravishes the mouth on his. Rutting against his leg, the bloke pushes his tongue past Merlin’s lips, licking greedily in his mouth, not leaving a spot untouched. It’s a nice way to spend the next few minutes, but eventually Merlin pushes him back to fumble with his lock, while being fondled. The door’s still swinging shut when his shirt is flung away and his trousers pulled down. Everything happens so fast and Merlin's quickly tearing open a condom, all but throwing it at the hot Irish bloke (he really should have asked him his name). Ten _minutes_ later, Merlin is sprawled out across his bed, breathing heavily, when the hot Irish bloke leaves without so much as a goodbye, winking at him.

Still, Merlin’s properly sated and he steps into the shower to wash away sweat and semen when he hears it. The sound of his neighbour butchering [_Summer Nights_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXlnMveRt-Y&list=PLS7M0Pq7hkx6x_CBHOo-Llp7CQlfNs-Re&index=2). He laughs to himself before joining in and he doesn’t even mind being Olivia Newton-John.

 

But clearly, he’s had too much fun on the weekend, and what follows is a week of hell.

Professor Gaius gives them the information about the last essay they need to write this year, and apparently it’s a group assignment. Of course, by the time he wants to sign up for a group, there’s only one spot left, with Cenred, Valiant, and George. He knows enough about Cenred and Valiant to know they’re friends and that their friendship must be based upon their mutual laziness. In the past two years, they’ve built up quite the reputation, so Merlin’s apprehensive to say the least. He doesn’t really know George, but Merlin hopes that he’s trustworthy enough to make up for the other two.

So, of course, the three of them combine their powers to ruin his whole week. They only have one week left to work on the essay, and George is an eager beaver. Every day, he’s sending emails and text messages—Merlin really should be more careful in the future when giving out his phone number—to bug them with questions about how they’re proceeding. Just to get rid of the man and be able to enjoy his weekend properly, Merlin delivers some of his best work by Friday. Naturally, as Merlin’s luck would have it, on Saturday morning George is calling him in a panic to say that Valiant and Cenred totally fucked up their part, and would Merlin please help him out?

It’s 02.30 at night when he’s finally finished and completely exhausted. When he steps in the shower to relax, it doesn’t even surprise him when his neighbour is singing [_What Have I Done to Deserve This?_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiskK0g82XA&list=PLS7M0Pq7hkx6x_CBHOo-Llp7CQlfNs-Re&index=3). Merlin has, as a consequence of his neighbours dulcet tones, made peace with three things. The first being that he’ll never know what his neighbour’s name is because this is real life and not a film. In real life, neighbours don’t ever see each other, or meet in the hallway, let alone socialise. Secondly, his neighbour seems to have a pretty weird schedule, to always be showering at night. To be fair, the same could be said about him, so he’ll let that one slide. And lastly, Neighbour must have telepathy, to always be singing songs befitting Merlin’s mood.

Merlin shrugs to himself before he can think too much on it and, in an attempt to not worry about the whole telepathy possibility, he belts out his best impression of Neil Tennant.

 

The next few weeks pass in more or less the same fashion. Thanks to the whole essay-debacle, Merlin’s behind on schedule and, since exams are fast approaching, his nose is constantly buried in books. More than once, when he’s been showering late at night, he’ll hear his neighbour singing and, if he knows the lyrics, he’ll start an impromptu duet-session. Rarely do they encounter each other during the week, but it happens, and if Merlin plans their Saturday showers into his schedule… well, what can he say, they’re relaxing!

However, it takes 6 weeks before Merlin is the one to initiate a duet. It’s 5 to 2 in the morning, and he can’t wait any longer. On Monday is his first exam and he still has so many chapters to revise thanks to Cenred and Valiant. It’s been long enough since the essay was turned in to seem far-fetched, but if he doesn’t blame _them_ then who would he blame? Himself? No, it’s all their fault that it’s Saturday at 01.55 AM and he’s going crazy.

He creeps towards his bathroom and shrugs out of his clothes. In that moment, he’s glad not to have any roommates. If anyone could see him, they would start thinking that he’s up to something. Which he’s definitely not. He’s just taking a shower... and singing tentatively.

“Pressure pushing down on me

Pressing down on you no man ask for

[Under pressure](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoDh_gHDvkk&index=4&list=PLS7M0Pq7hkx6x_CBHOo-Llp7CQlfNs-Re)

That burns a building down

Splits a family in two

Puts people on streets”

He’s nearly halfway through the song when there’s a voice filling in for David Bowie. Merlin smiles. He was afraid that his neighbour might not appreciate Merlin volunteering as a duet partner. It’s the first time the initiative has come from him and it feels good to have him reciprocate.

 

After that, it’s back to normal. Normal being Merlin making sure that by 2 AM he’s standing under his showerhead, listening for a muffled voice, and when he does hear it, he sings along or imitates the instruments.

In a strange way, he gets to know his neighbour. Whether it’s by his choice of song, singer, or tone, it tells him things he probably shouldn’t know about someone that he hasn’t even met yet. For example, Merlin has deduced that the man must have a stressful job and that it makes him unhappy. More disturbing is that he even knows when the man just got laid because he always chooses a sickeningly sweet song from some romantic musical. However, that’s been happening less and less lately.

 

Things begin to change on a dark Saturday night in October, when after half an hour of standing there, Merlin still hasn’t heard anything from the other side of the wall. Whatever is going on in his neighbour’s life must have finally come to a head. Worried and wanting to know what’s happened, he tries to think of a song to convey his concern. Admittedly, he’s grasping at straws when he starts singing [_Say Something_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2U0Ivkn2Ds&list=PLS7M0Pq7hkx6x_CBHOo-Llp7CQlfNs-Re&index=6), but seriously, what other songs are there to ask someone what’s going on?

The other man hesitantly joins in—Merlin just _knew_ he was still there!—and he’s obviously feeling a bit more like his old self already, because he has no qualms whatsoever about stealing the man’s part. Again.

After it’s ended, Merlin waits, suddenly nervous. He’s genuinely concerned about his neighbour, but it’s not actually any of his business what’s on his mind, is it?

And then he begins to sing. It’s painfully emotional and Merlin feels like an intruder, as if he’s getting a sneak peek into his heart, that hasn’t been shared with anyone else.

“[And I would do anything for love…](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X_ViIPA-Gc&list=PLS7M0Pq7hkx6x_CBHOo-Llp7CQlfNs-Re&index=5)”

He only sings the chorus, but it’s more than Merlin expected. He can’t do anything but answer with a heartfelt [_You’ve Got a Friend in Me_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZQVTHagnog&index=7&list=PLS7M0Pq7hkx6x_CBHOo-Llp7CQlfNs-Re). And if his heart misses a beat when Neighbour immediately joins, well, there’s no around to judge.

 

Slowly but surely their simultaneous showers occur not only on Saturday, but have spread out to Friday nights as well. He knows it’s a conscious effort on his neighbour’s part because Merlin seldom ever heard him on Friday, and now suddenly he’s there every Friday at the same time Merlin usually showers. The thought makes him giddy. So much that he doesn’t even mind that he always gets the girl part anymore.

But, since Merlin has friends and a healthy social life, thank you very much, and his neighbour must have other social obligations as well, there are weeks where no duets happen. At other times, they accidentally shower at the same time several days in one week. Those are good weeks.

Before he knows what’s happening, holidays are almost over. To celebrate that sad event, he invites Will over. They get drunk on cheap beer and priceless stories from their childhood, but not too drunk to make Merlin forget about his neighbour or to lose track of time. When it’s almost 2 AM he gets up from the couch as nonchalantly as he can.

“Time for a shower,” he says as Will looks at him suspiciously.

“A shower? Now? It’s the middle of the night, Merlin.” As if he hasn’t been throwing surreptitious glances at the clock for the last half hour.

“You’re not getting in my bed like that,” Merlin says. “But if you want to lie, stinking, on my sofa, feel free!” No one wants to lie on his sofa. It’s lumpy and is known to have broken backs of men more sturdy than Will. “I’m going to shower. Let me know when I get out.”

He’s well aware that it’s kind of pathetic, but Merlin can’t help but grin, elated, when his neighbour’s singing again. Even though he wonders with a pang in his heart if his neighbour’s gotten laid again, because well, [_When You Say Nothing at All_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3mptQi9k-A&list=PLS7M0Pq7hkx6x_CBHOo-Llp7CQlfNs-Re&index=8) is a love song, isn’t it?

When he gets out of the bathroom, still smiling soppily, Will scowls disapprovingly. And when he re-emerges not two minutes later, his scowl’s deepened even more.

“Dude, the walls are too fucking thin.”

Merlin flushes. Has he been found it? Does Will know about the duets because his neighbour started singing another song? But he was silent when Merlin dressed himself though, and surely he knows that Merlin won’t shower twice in such a short timespan? Even if he might have contemplated it…

“Your neighbour was wanking! Ugh, I did _not_ need to hear that.”

Oh. That explains… nothing. If he was wanking, then he didn’t get laid. But then why was he singing [Ronan frigging Keating](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xrxrEEGVdM&index=9&list=PLS7M0Pq7hkx6x_CBHOo-Llp7CQlfNs-Re)? And why was he wanking _now_? On a Saturday night, when he knows Merlin is home, because they just _sang together_!

Will is still looking at him, grossed out, and Merlin decidedly leaves that trail of thought. He’ll freak out in peace when Will isn’t here.

 

But he only gets a few hours to do that. Because on Monday, at precisely 6 PM, there’s an ominous knocking on his door. When he opens it, there’s a gorgeous man standing right in front of him, which only serves to promptly give him another reason for an even bigger freak-out.

“I’m Arthur. I live next door?”

Merlin gapes. _This_ is the man he’s been having duets with for a good half year? Slightly sun-tanned, adorning golden hair, owner of beautifully blue eyes… he’s basically a walking cliché, but what a picture he makes.

Merlin scrapes his jaw from the floor and swallows his spit, or rather, he _gulps_. In a poor attempt to divert the attention from the drool that must be on his face—because why else would his neighb— _Arthur_ be staring at him like that?—he sticks out his hand.

As Arthur shakes it, Merlin says, “Merlin.” Eloquent, really.

“Hi, Merlin,” he says, and proceeds to give him a slightly crooked smile. Yup, Merlin’s lost.

“I’m out of… eggs. Could I maybe borrow some?”

“Eggs. Yes. I’ll go and get them.” Merlin quickly turns to hide his rising blush, but his face still feels hot when he comes back with the eggs. “Here you go.”

“Thank you, Merlin.”

When he’s gone, Merlin closes his door and leans back against it, head thumping softly.

“Shit, shit, shit.” Merlin hoped that his stupid crush on a man he’d never met would go away when he saw him because he was secretly an arsehole or not his type at all. But things have just gotten so much worse. Of course, he doesn’t know about the arsehole part—except that he really does have a very fine piece of it—but Arthur’s exactly his type.

“Fuck me,” Merlin says aloud. And wouldn’t he enjoy that.

He’s startled when there’s another knock. Gathering his bearings, Merlin opens the door with trepidation only to see that it’s Arthur again.

“How would you like to come for dinner? It’s something with eggs. And I’ve got _The Jungle Book_.”

Grinning widely, Merlin nods. “I would love to!”

The only thing that makes the evening even better than expected, is when afterwards, standing together in the shower, Arthur starts belting out [_You’re the One that I Want_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYQltuvKCD4&index=10&list=PLS7M0Pq7hkx6x_CBHOo-Llp7CQlfNs-Re). This close next to each other, his wailing is even more painful, but Merlin couldn’t be happier. Especially not now that Arthur is the girl for once.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Any and all feedback welcome.


End file.
